Exchanges

In this article I’m going discuss the different betting exchanges and the pro’s and cons of them all.

Firstly everyone will have there preferred betting exchanges and there own reasons for using one over another but personally i prefer betfair.The reasons being they cover all markets with a good amount of money in,are reliable and also give out alot more free bets and bonuses to its members. For those reasons alone betfair is my personal preference. But IL cover the rest now.

Just to re-cap for newer members an exchange is our ‘LAY’ or ‘BET AGAINST’ account and is vitally important to how we make our money and this is below is well worth a read and feel free to Post any questions or comments on the subject below.

Betfair

Betfairs commission rate is 5% though this can be decreased slightly over time the more you spend by there loyalty program however you need to spend a small fortune to get it lowered by a decent amount. They cover every major sport and generally have a good amount of money in there markets. They offer lots of free bets on there site as they run numerous other sections such as there sports book and arcade sections meaning they offer great value and the extra commission they charge compared to the others can usually be eased by the free bets they give out. There site is modern and up to date and is easy to navigate. Like most exchanges they only take there commission if you win in the exchange so for instance you win £100 they will take £5 off you for commission but all this is taken into account when you do your sums on the calculator. Betfair have been known to give out free bets from live chat if you ask them to but i would suggest not doing this often.

Smarkets

Another popular exchange and a favorite among some of the more experienced matched betters. At only 2% commission they are one of the cheaper exchanges to use meaning you can save a lot of money with them if you do a lot of bets in a week which over a year can add up to a big amount. The site is easy to navigate with most sports being listed down the left hand side. I tend to find there is not as much money in some markets compared to others and this site is well known for crashing at peak times but if your happy to offset those problems with the money saved in commissions then its perfectly acceptable to do all your bets on this site all though i would have a small amount kept in betfair as a back up. But as i say is a favorite amongst some.

Matchbook

The commission for these guys is only 1% HOWEVER you need to be aware they take this whether your bet wins or loses with them.
They specialize in football and to date have the best average odds in 2015 of all the exchanges. I use these guys quite alot for my football bets particularly if I’m placing some larger bets. Money in the market is good and the site is rarely down making them reliable. They also cover a range of other markets but personally i would use these for football only. Site is modern and easy to use making it suitable for everyone. They also run a casino section but have yet to see a decent casino offer from them but they may well add this to the locker at a later date.

Betdaq

2% commission charge. These guys seems to be updating there layout to look more like betfair. Sadly it doesn’t compete and all though the sign up offer is worth doing and you should do that, for exchange purposes i wouldn’t use this site and would stick with one of the others unless you really feel the need to. They do have other sections including virtuals but as yet i have yet to receive any offers in my inbox for anything which suggests to me there happy just being an exchange. In short, do the sign up offer then keep it on the back burner logging in once in a while in the hope of prompting an email offer.

Ladbrokes exchange section

so ladbrokes also have an exchanges section with a starting rate of 5% which can be brought down by earning points. You get 1 point for ever £25 spent and the first drop down is at 80 points. Seems to be a sensible amount of money in the market for most events. They have a decent sign up offer which is worth doing but as like betdaq personally i would stick with one of the others and keep this as a back up. I would suggest though when in the sports book section flicking over and browsing the exchange as it may prompt offers from them which you can benefit from.

So that is a brief introduction into the different exchanges and i have also touched on pros and cons. Personally i would recommend sticking with betfair or smarkets for most of your bets but everyone has there own preference its just down to you but this may help you decide.

Cristiaan (Matched Betting Expert)

Related Post

Are you looking for to have matched betting explained to you? Sign up today for a free trial or full access for just £15 per month to get access to all our matched betting video guides will explain and demonstrateRead more

Are you looking for a matched betting for dummies guide? Sign up today for a free trial or full access for just £15 per month and get access to all our matched betting video guides which is perfect for dummies 🙂